A helicopter spraying pesticide on an Alabama field crashed last month after it hit a fiber optic cable strung along with power lines, according to a preliminary report was federal investigators released Wednesday.

The 30-year-old pilot, Zachary Warren Pourciau of Ventress, Louisiana, died in the June 25 crash in Alpine, which is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Sylacauga.

Pourciau was spraying fungicide on a corn field when his helicopter hit the cable, according to the report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The helicopter crashed about 415 feet (126 meters) away from where it hit the cable, the report said.
Pourciau was working for Ewing Flying Service at the time of the crash.